Eleken

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an all-inclusive business text messaging service. I work as a product manager. We are an online B2B business and offer solutions for improving business communication via text messaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

Our company has ambitious plans for expanding the business. We are planning to launch new products and apps. This is why we needed Eleken's help with designing new products.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to create clickable prototypes of a chat app along with contacts and user management using Figma. Ideally, to get an idea of how the new app will look like and what user flows there would be.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched along many vendors online and liked the reviews of Eleken, so we decided to give it a try.

Describe the project in detail.

We have arranged several remote meetings and discussions with Eleken's designers to agree on the steps, wireframes and user flows. After some period we had the next call, where the designers presented the results. We made our comments and decided upon the next sprint.

What was the team composition?

We had 3 full-time designers and a project manager from Eleken's side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We received what we were looking for. Some good UI ideas and solutions. Our prototypes were not yet sent into development, however, we will reuse them in-house to produce more pages.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Eleken company always adheres to deadlines and is never late for meetings. They are polite and acknowledge the requirements very well. We mainly used Slack and Figma for co-operation.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were able to dive into our product/styles/logic very quickly. Their ability to produce good and easy-to-use UI solutions is very strong.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot think of any areas for improvement.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client company on June 22, 2020. The content is below.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a telecommunication platform offering a wide range of services. My position is product manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We have hired Eleken to create UI/UX design of our platform since we plan to expand.

What were your goals for this project?

There are 2 main goals: to re-design the old UI and to create new UI for new functionality

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We liked the portfolio and existing reviews of Eleken and their initial communication style appealed to us.

Describe the project in detail.

We started our work with sharing the overall vision of the project. The design team performed a research on the described ideas and suggested their implementation vision. Since the project is quite large, we have regular discussions on every new screen/feature, the designers usually come up with several versions and we collaborate on further iterations.

What was the team composition?

We are working with three full-time designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The designers are very creative, they never run out of ideas and we always find a proper solution for our UI despite the complexity. Their working discipline allows us keeping on track with the project plans.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Highly effective. We are always in touch during the working day and can discuss any peculiarities on the go and apply new ideas straight away. They are always there to answer any questions or brain storm another complex solution.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professional approach to the design creation. They are not waiting to be told how to design something, they perform their own research of the topic and dive into the matter completely which results into great outcomes.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the lead experience designer at a UX design firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We were looking for help with the UI of our company website

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken provided UI designs for our brand new site. We had written the content ourselves and done the UX work. After providing them with wireframes and a number of sites that we liked the look and feel of, they ran with it and came up with some concepts for us. We chose the one we liked the best and worked with them to refine it. Eventually, they delivered the final designs to us for implementation. They have recently done a few minor refinements or updates that we’ve asked for.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we had one point of contact in the form of our project manager, but as the project went on, we began working directly with the designer. That process worked well for us because we understood what was required for the design phase.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We were referred to Eleken from an acquaintance of ours that had worked with them in the past after putting out feelers to various people we trust. Once we reviewed their site and had an introductory phone call with them, we determined they would be the best partner for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from June–August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

While the site has not yet launched, it was a pleasure to work with Eleken. They were very responsive and extremely adept at UI design. Their team can take a concept and really run with it. 

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Eleken was great at meeting deadlines. Our ultimate deadline was a bit loose, but they communicated with us on a daily basis. If there was gonna be a two or three-day lag because they needed some time to work on a task, they were very clear about that. Our teams communicated over Trello and through comments and Sigma to refine the design.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Eleken has an understanding of modern design aesthetic and they tailor that to a client’s needs. If the client wants something more basic and less experimental, they can do that, but they can also do edgy designs as well. They are also very thoughtful about the mobile experience first, which is crucial for a lot of businesses.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I would suggest is that they involve the client in their internal review process It’d be interesting to see them sort of experience with that. I don’t know if they’re doing that internally, but it wasn’t shown to us. They may have been doing it, but we would have liked to see it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The thing that worked best for us is that we were explicit with handing over wireframes. We already knew what we wanted and were very particular about the design direction they should go. Providing them with guidance helps the design team give you the best results possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and CTO of an internet startup based in San Francisco. We are developing the mobile app Wavechat that lets you create micro podcasts and share them with your friends.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

Marketing materials including an animation for our product launch.

What were your goals for this project?

We quickly needed a few banners and other design elements showcasing our app's features.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We previously worked with Eleken before and were happy with their design work. They helped us designing the UI for our app.

Describe the project in detail.

Eleken provided us with banners and an animation for our logo. We needed these assets for a marketing launch of our mobile app.

What was the team composition?

We directly worked with the designer that was associated to us and we already knew from our last engagement with Eleken.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This is the second time we are using Eleken for helping us with design work. As always, they delivered in time and we are happy with the results and their pricing. Thank you very much again Eleken!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since we are working directly with their designers and invited them into our Slack environment, the workflow is very effective and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their quality of work and ability to understand our needs sets them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, everything was fine.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner at a product studio that designs and builds digital products. We work on strategy, business development, planning, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We hired Eleken for UI design on various projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Some projects have wireframes, but every project has a Google Doc that goes over the product overview. The document outlines the product, what the client is trying to achieve, references to other websites they like. It also has a list of tasks or phases needed during the project. For example, it could say that a module needs to be developed or three concepts related to its homepage design.

For each engagement, the document is clear about the tasks that Eleken’s team needs to accomplish. For deliverables, their team provides page designs done through Sketch or Sigma.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager who dealt with the project at a high level. For the most part, my interactions are with a designer.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

I believe I found them after working with a development firm based in Ukraine. Because of the successful relationship I had with them, I started looking for design shops.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve invested between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Eleken started in 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We work together as projects come up. They’re proactive to situations. We’ve received great feedback from our clients that have worked with Eleken. They’ve either hired us again or referred us to their own clients.

The designers were thoughtful whenever I presented new or interesting ideas. Their work was quality, always within the requirements that I outlined. We’ve used a number of their designs as a reference when pitching new clients, which we’ve won over. We’ve been successful in obtaining new work because of Eleken.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they perform well. Having a main designer to talk with worked well because of my design and development background.

They were responsive to the way I outlined the projects. They were also good at making updates when requested. Their organizational approach when it comes to the project and its deliverables is top-notch. We mainly use Trello for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was knowledgeable about the current design techniques. When we let them know that they have free rein, I’m always impressed with what they come up with. They’re also able to abide by what the client wants. If I go to them with a new project and say that I want a modern look, their team can do that. The team at Eleken understands the current design aesthetic while producing something scalable for mobile and desktop.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There is an almost 11-hour time difference. It would be helpful if they worked more hours that coincide with mine. I’m willing to wake up early and overlap with them. There’s a 24-hour turnaround window. It would be nice if they worked up until noon my time, for instance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First, clients need to outline the project and what’s required clearly. Then, let them know if they need to follow a specific aesthetic or can have free rein. You can give them sites to reference, so they have a better idea of what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of Wavecut, an internet and technology startup. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

My co-founder and I have some design background, but we’re not designers by trade. We felt that we needed a strong design team to take our product to the next level.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken designed our mobile app. The app is a voice-based social app that records a user and allows them to add emojis or change their voice using creative filters. It required a lot of design assets. Their team designed the app from scratch, providing us with wireframes.

Through a daily video call, our team worked closely with their designers. We went through the constraints and allowed them some creative expression. Every day we would go over the work from the previous day and iterate from there. Their team provided design and typography work within the brand’s design style. Eleken also provided UI components for the app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one administrative person and two designers from Eleken.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We looked for designers on the internet. After having conversations with a few other design firms, we took a look at Eleken’s portfolio and decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Eleken took place in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our app is currently live on the App Store and was featured by Apple in two prominent locations. They are well known for their design and them picking out our app to feature is a good way to determine the quality of Elenken’s work.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Elenken is very amenable to feedback. Their team interacted with us daily via video call and provided us with updates and comments. They were easily able to plug into our framework.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great from a cost-benefit perspective. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful if they could institute an improved payment system, such as Stripe or Bitcoin.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you are open to collaborating on the design, they have talented designers that can help you achieve that. I was very happy with our process of us giving them inspiration and general guidelines and them bringing that to reality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of marketing and design and CoderByBlood. We're a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We were releasing a new product that is a private online diary or journal, and we needed a vendor to help us develop it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They managed the entire process from helping us develop the concept to creating a website and making sure everything works the way we wanted. They also designed the look of the website, created our company logo and the product logo, and helped us with branding. They continue to update and maintain the website.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work through a project manager, but we've also had contact with their technical lead and the design team.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

The relationship had started before I joined the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in summer 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our internal team is happy with the logo design, and we got very good feedback from those people who have seen the product. Eleken is as invested in the success of our product as we are. We could rely on them to get it ready for launch.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They've never missed a deadline. We use Jira and Microsoft Teams to manage the project, and they've been very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is very high, and their prices are reasonable. Also, they're very organized, so they've helped us keep the project on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Many of them are not native English speakers, so sometimes we have to edit the copy to make it flow a little better. However, they're very open to feedback and willing to make changes when we ask them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you want when you go into the project. Some of our delays were caused by us getting the product the way we asked for and then realizing that wasn't what we really wanted.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing partner of an SSO solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We didn’t have any mobile apps which we would use for authentication purposes during sign-on, and we didn’t have that expertise in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a mobile application for both Android and iOS platforms that supported multi-factor authentication purposes. We came up with the design on our end. It provided push authentication as well as time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication. They also integrated the app with the Apple watch and made enhancements to the product.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Roman (Frontend Developer, Eleken), who shared the information with their developers and testers.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We had reached out to a couple of development companies. The first one we were going to go with came in with a reasonable estimate, but when we started our discussions, it turned out that wasn’t really the estimate. Eleken was the next company we reached out to and they have been good. They met the timelines and were accurate on cost and timeframes for each phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from December 2016–March 2017. They have been doing different phases of the application since that time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their delivery of a stable solution in a timely manner was very helpful to us. It ticks off another box when clients are looking at someone that is in our space. We typically get good feedback from users.

The app is rather simplistic and it doesn’t have to do a lot. There are some key features related to authentication, but there aren’t a lot of moving parts, so there haven’t been a lot of issues.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been very good. When we pushed out the app, some users were having issues, but they jumped right in and worked with us to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

We mostly used email and phone calls to communicate. As we typically supply them with the design of exactly what we want, they take care of the development and give us a timeframe for delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Roman has been very responsive. He delivered what he promised to deliver and delivered on time. It has been a good relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is important to define your requirements. If you want to get exactly what you asked for without any surprises, mark everything down in a document detailing exactly how you want it. When things are vague, it leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations and then it takes further iterations to get what you actually want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a partner and director of client services at a creative services agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We hired Eleken to build a WordPress website backend for a client.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to produce a functioning WordPress backend with a custom block builder system, global ad management, and a few light integrations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with them before, and they did a solid job.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed our WordPress site. We provided the designs in Zeplin, then took over again when it was time to integrate the frontend.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one of Eleken's developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We haven't yet launched the site since we are waiting on a custom product integration. The product had a great impact on our relationship with this long-term client. The project worked seamlessly with the member management tool that we built.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They set up the project well, and our project manager communicated directly with the Eleken developer.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved their attention to detail.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could improve their project kickoff speed. Because their intake process is thorough, it takes a few weeks to start a project. I hope that the next time we engage them, we can move more quickly given our history together. It would be great to start work within two or three weeks of the initial inquiry.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of mytoddler, a video streaming service for children. We host multilingual, child-friendly videos in a safe environment. My main role was as technical project lead, so I worked closely with Eleken.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We hired Eleken to design and program our React Native mobile application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build a React Native app with great usability and performance. We had a web application and weren't sure how to translate it onto mobile, so we left the project completely in their hands. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our friend interviewed several consulting companies in Poland and Ukraine, met dozens of React Native programmers, and selected Eleken. They did a great job for him. Since he's picky, we trusted his word and chose Eleken because of their professionalism during screening.

Describe the project in detail.

We contacted a team member from Eleken who reviewed our case with us and estimated the hours necessary. Since Eleken's team is tech-savvy, one of their designers created wireframes before we asked. We loved them and decided to finalize the project. After finishing the first version, I gave them feedback on performance issues and general bugs. After our first user tests, we received invaluable feedback. It took less than a week for Eleken to develop the new features.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager who led communication and development. We also had one designer, one or two backend developers, and one or two frontend developers. It was a great team, overall. Not many developers are highly skilled in React Native; I was shocked that they had so many.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We received high praise for our app and its performance, all thanks to Eleken and their great work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was as effective as possible. We used Slack to communicate and Excel to report bugs, give them input, and track ideas. All our meetings had clear topics and action points, and we had a meeting every time we asked for one. No matter which curveballs we threw, they fixed issues quickly and constantly updated us on their progress. Their approach was responsive, agile, and iterative, which made our experience extremely pleasant.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing was their professionalism, their speed, and the structure they lent to every aspect of our cooperation. Eleken was a fast, hard-working team and a prime example of an IT partner. I'm looking forward to continuing our great cooperation.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't know what to suggest. I've worked with them closely for months, and we share the same philosophy. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a mobile app manager at a consumer tech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

Our company had an MVP, but for the next version, we needed to expand our team. We lacked React Native expertise in-house. The MVP had a few functionality issues. We wanted to show the concept to potential investors and partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken polished the MVP and added a lot of significant features to the app, like messaging, crypto-wallet, etc. The app provides secure digital, portable identity. Users can store information through different providers. It can be used for various services, such as bank loans and secure authentication to certain websites.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one senior developer and two mid-level developers. There was a part-time project manager, and occasionally we sourced a designer.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

Our CTO met a salesperson from Ukraine at a conference. They knew about Eleken and suggested that we contact them.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost between $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2017 to August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We launched the new version on the App Store. Initial users gave positive feedback. Because of that, we were able to pitch to our investors.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style was great. After a short time, we were able to pick up the pace and synchronize how we managed it. We used Jira for communication. There were a few challenges because our teams were located in different countries. It was a bit complicated dealing with time zone differences, but Eleken was able to perform decently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated that they often came up with practical technological solutions and suggestions. Eleken deeply understands how React Native works, which isn’t common with a lot of service providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If your company is trying to build an ecosystem around an app, try to think forward before building begins.